Christian Nations Are the Sux0r

A recent study has found strong correlations between how strong a country's belief in Christianity is and how high their levels of violence and teen pregnancy are. (The survey wasn't about Christianity, per se, but it focused on mostly Christian and formerly Christian nations, with the exception of Japan). One result from the study:

A few hundred years ago rates of homicide were astronomical in Christian Europe and the American colonies (Beeghley; R. Lane). In all secular developed democracies a centuries long-term trend has seen homicide rates drop to historical lows (Figure 2). The especially low rates in the more Catholic European states are statistical noise due to yearly fluctuations incidental to this sample, and are not consistently present in other similar tabulations (Barcley and Tavares). Despite a significant decline from a recent peak in the 1980s (Rosenfeld), the U.S. is the only prosperous democracy that retains high homicide rates, making it a strong outlier in this regard (Beeghley; Doyle, 2000). Similarly, theistic Portugal also has rates of homicides well above the secular developed democracy norm.

It is possible that part of the problem here is that those who "believe" often look down on those who don't. I and many of my friends back in the US can readily testify to this. It should go without saying that when you have a self-righteous group looking down on those who don't share their views, societal tension is a natural result. But if you're tempted to respond to this, read the study first, regardless of whether or not you agree with me.

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It is possible that part of the problem here is that those who "believe" often look down on those who don't.

There are oozing buckets of smug to go around.

One of my personal favorites is the absolutely condescending pat on the head to our pasty-white, combed-hair, clean-shaven red state brothers with button-up shirts. "It's okay. Your braaaaanes are brooooooken, you poor mindless sheep suckling on the big glass teat of truly awful God-is-my-girlfriend pop music and fat televangelist drippings. You d

The trouble for me is that your reply was so close to the sort of typical character assasination I hear when I accidentally fall for the baited and get sucked into a debate on religion that you threw me off there for a second.:)

My A level statistics book had a lovely diagram showing the very high correlation between the price of ice cream and the number of road traffic accidents in various countries. It was an important point well made.

Agreed. In fact, the study made it clear that while there were strong correlations, they did not engage in regression analysis to determine the root causes because, in part, this is very complicated and well beyond the scope of the initial study. They were merely noting that there is a strong correlation with a nation's tendency to be religious and having higher homicide rates, higher STD rates (particularly amonst adolescents), higher abortion rates and higher teen pregnancy rates. These problems appear

Just find a remote place to hide as when this 'armageddon' the religious freaks are gunning for in the ME comes and they realise they've only managed to kill millions without the trumpets and the angels coming for them, maybe then some sanity will prevail. Certainly not before then.

They were merely noting that there is a strong correlation with a nation's tendency to be religious and having higher homicide rates, higher STD rates (particularly amonst adolescents), higher abortion rates and higher teen pregnancy rates. These problems appear to drop as the percentange of a country's believers drop.

The study did not show that at all. Unless I am mistaken, it did not show any nation's problems dropping over time as their belief dropped.